From: Santiago Vila Subject: The system-wide mail directory is /var/mail as per policy X-Debian-version: 3.22-2 --- a/FAQ +++ b/FAQ @@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ Forward to |/usr/bin/procmail or if that doesn't work, try: Pipe to /usr/bin/procmail - as the only line in your mail spool file (e.g. /usr/mail/$LOGNAME), as - well as doing a "chmod 06660 /usr/mail/$LOGNAME". For more information + as the only line in your mail spool file (e.g. /var/mail/$LOGNAME), as + well as doing a "chmod 06660 /var/mail/$LOGNAME". For more information on such systems, do a "man mail". If all of this doesn't work, procmail can be called on a periodical @@ -210,14 +210,14 @@ procmail with both the fcntl() and lockf() locking method disabled (see config.h). -17. I sometimes get these `Lock failure on "/usr/mail/$LOGNAME.lock"' errors +17. I sometimes get these `Lock failure on "/var/mail/$LOGNAME.lock"' errors from procmail. What do I do about it? The problem here is that as long as procmail has not read a $HOME/.procmailrc file, it can hang on to the sgid mail permission - (which it needs in order to create a lockfile in /usr/mail). + (which it needs in order to create a lockfile in /var/mail). I.e. if procmail delivers mail to a user without a $HOME/.procmailrc - file, procmail *can* (and does) use the /usr/mail/$LOGNAME.lock file. + file, procmail *can* (and does) use the /var/mail/$LOGNAME.lock file. If, however, it finds a $HOME/.procmailrc file, procmail has to let go of the sgid mail permission because otherwise any ordinary user could @@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ There are several solutions to this problem: - Some systems support the sticky bit on directories (when set only allows the owner of a file in that directory to rename or remove - it). This enables you to make /usr/spool/mail drwxrwxrwt. It is + it). This enables you to make /var/mail drwxrwxrwt. It is thus effectively world writable, but all the mailboxes in it are protected because only the mailbox owner can remove or rename it. - If your system did not exhibit the !@#$%^&* POSIX semantics for @@ -245,9 +245,9 @@ :0 $DEFAULT - - You could, instead of using /usr/mail/$LOGNAME, use a file below + - You could, instead of using /var/mail/$LOGNAME, use a file below your home directory as your default mailbox. - - Or, you could still use /usr/mail/$LOGNAME as the mailbox, but + - Or, you could still use /var/mail/$LOGNAME as the mailbox, but simply instruct procmail to use a different lockfile. This can be achieved by putting following recipe at the bottom of your .procmailrc file: --- a/FEATURES +++ b/FEATURES @@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ per message, the similar MH directory folders (numbered files), and Maildir directory folders (a multi-directory format that requires no locking) - + Native support for /var/spool/mail/b/a/bar type mailspools + + Native support for /var/mail/b/a/bar type mailspools + Variable assignment and substitution is an extremely complete subset of the standard /bin/sh syntax + Provides a mail log file, which logs all mail arrival, shows --- a/examples/advanced +++ b/examples/advanced @@ -251,14 +251,14 @@ -------------------------------------------------------- There are many different reasons why more and more sites decide not to -store mail in /usr/spool/mail or /usr/mail anymore. +store mail in /var/spool/mail or /var/mail anymore. Some of the obvious advantages when storing mail in the recipient's home directory are: - Mail is automatically subject to the user's quota limitations. - Often there is more room on the home partition(s) than on that - one /usr/mail partition. + one /var/mail partition. -The quota limitations also apply to /usr/spool/mail or /usr/mail if procmail +The quota limitations also apply to /var/spool/mail or /var/mail if procmail does the delivery. These quota limitations often do not work with the regular /bin/mail since that usually writes the mailbox with root permissions (eluding the quota restrictions). @@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ defined SYSTEM_MBOX to be. Some braindamaged mail programs do not pick up the MAIL environment variable, these either have to be patched/recompiled or you have to create symbolic - links in /usr/mail to every person's new mailbox. + links in /var/mail to every person's new mailbox. --- --- a/src/authenticate.c +++ b/src/authenticate.c @@ -39,13 +39,13 @@ #include "authenticate.h" #ifndef MAILSPOOLDIR -#define MAILSPOOLDIR "/var/spool/mail/" /* watch the trailing / */ +#define MAILSPOOLDIR "/var/mail/" /* watch the trailing / */ #endif #ifndef MAILSPOOLSUFFIX #define MAILSPOOLSUFFIX "" /* suffix to force maildir or MH style */ #endif #ifndef MAILSPOOLHASH -#define MAILSPOOLHASH 0 /* 2 would deliver to /var/spool/mail/b/a/bar */ +#define MAILSPOOLHASH 0 /* 2 would deliver to /var/mail/b/a/bar */ #endif /*#define MAILSPOOLHOME "/.mail" /* watch the leading / */ /* delivers to $HOME/.mail */ --- a/src/autoconf +++ b/src/autoconf @@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ # #define NOfcntl_lock #Ok #define USElockf #Ok #define USEflock -#Ok #define MAILSPOOLDIR "/var/spool/mail/" +#Ok #define MAILSPOOLDIR "/var/mail/" #Ok #define SENDMAIL "/usr/sbin/sendmail" # #define buggy_SENDMAIL # #define DEFflagsendmail "" @@ -1416,14 +1416,14 @@ found=no -for a in /var/spool/mail /usr/spool/mail /var/mail /usr/mail /spool/mail +for a in /var/mail /var/spool/mail /usr/spool/mail /usr/mail /spool/mail do test -d $a -a $found != yes && echo '#define MAILSPOOLDIR "'$a'/"' >>$ACONF && found=yes done if test $found != yes then - echo '#define MAILSPOOLDIR "/var/spool/mail/"' >>$ACONF + echo '#define MAILSPOOLDIR "/var/mail/"' >>$ACONF echo Could not find the system-mailbox directory, supplied default. fi